Michael Shaw, Baron Shaw of Northstead facts for kids
Michael Norman Shaw, also known as Baron Shaw of Northstead, was an important British politician. He was born on October 9, 1920, and passed away on January 8, 2021. He was a member of both the National Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament. He was an MP from 1960 to 1964 and again from 1966 to 1992.
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Michael Shaw's Political Journey
Michael Shaw was born in Leeds, a city in England. He went to school at Sedbergh School. His political journey began when he first tried to become an MP in May 1955. He ran for the Conservative Party in a place called Dewsbury. This area usually voted for the Labour Party, so he did not win that election.
Early Elections and First Win
In October 1959, Michael Shaw tried again to become an MP. This time, he ran as a 'Liberal and Conservative' candidate. He stood in a close election in Brighouse and Spenborough. He lost by a very small number of votes, just 47 votes. The person who won, Lewis John Edwards, sadly passed away the next month.
Because of this, a special election, called a by-election, was held in March 1960. Michael Shaw won this election! He became an MP for the National Liberals and Conservatives. He won by 666 votes.
Returning to Parliament
In the 1964 general election, Michael Shaw lost his seat in Brighouse and Spenborough. But he did not give up. He returned to Parliament in the 1966 general election. This time, he was elected for a different area called Scarborough and Whitby. This area usually voted for the Conservative Party. From then on, he was a Conservative MP.
He kept representing Scarborough and Whitby until 1974. After that, he represented the new Scarborough constituency. He continued to be an MP for Scarborough until he retired in 1992. In total, he served as an MP for 30 years!
Serving in Europe
Besides being an MP in the UK, Michael Shaw also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He was an MEP from 1974 to 1979. Back then, MEPs were not directly chosen by voters. Instead, they were selected by the House of Commons and House of Lords to represent the UK in Europe.
Special Honours
In 1982, Michael Shaw received a special honour. He was made a Knight by The Queen. This means he could use the title "Sir" before his name. Later, in 1994, he was given another important title. He became a life peer, which means he became a member of the House of Lords. His full title was Baron Shaw of Northstead. He retired from the House of Lords in 2015.
Michael Shaw's Family Life
Michael Shaw lived a long life and passed away peacefully on January 8, 2021. He was 100 years old. He was married to his wife, Joan, for 69 years. He was a father and a grandfather. Towards the end of his life, he lived in Winchester. When he passed away, he was the oldest living former MP from the Conservative or National Liberal parties. He was also the only one of these politicians to live to be 100 years old.
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